Der Kiez — The Neighborhood

Kiez Life and Gentrification

Kiez is the Berlin word for a neighborhood, and it carries more than geography: a Kiez has its regulars, its corner pub, its Späti, the late-night shop that sells drinks, snacks and newspapers long after supermarkets close. Many Berliners identify more with their Kiez than with the city as a whole, and a single district can contain several Kieze, each with its own reputation. Since the 1990s, several inner-city neighborhoods, especially in the former East and in areas such as Kreuzberg and Neukölln, have changed rapidly. Old apartment buildings were renovated, rents rose, and new cafés and shops replaced older businesses. The debate over Gentrifizierung is often heated: some welcome renovated buildings and new life, while others see long-time residents and small businesses pushed out. Berlin has tried several tools to slow the change, including rules that limit rent increases and protected areas where luxury renovations need approval. Tenants' associations, neighborhood initiatives and co-ops play a large role. Even so, the line between newcomer and old-timer is blurrier than the debate suggests: Berlin has always been a city of people who came from somewhere else.